Politics and Economics: Avoid Being the Loyal Yet Confused Ant

Politics, essentially, is a system or tool designed to set up and manage the governance of a country. It serves as a means to achieve real and tangible success. For politics to be effective, there must be:

• Vision
• Objectives
• Goals

These elements are part of a broader agenda or blueprint for success. Similarly, in practice, both politics and economics require:

• Mission
• Targets
• Strategy

These components form the roadmap and action plan for achieving outcomes, such as the objectives outlined in initiatives like PUTERA.

Why then, do we find ourselves bogged down by racial and religious sentiment, emotional perceptions, and exaggerations, when these issues are not actual threats? In other countries where Islam is a minority, practices continue robustly. If we are truly concerned about religion, we should assess our own practices: How often do we attend prayers or engage in religious activities? Compare this to the attention given to political issues, which often yields minimal real benefit.

Similarly, if we care about preserving our language, why do so many Malays speak and write in English?

Let’s confront the real threats to Malays and Malaysia:

• Economic Decline: Malays are falling behind, and the gap is widening.
• Loss of Land: This includes Malay Reserved Land (MRL) and valuable strategic urban land.

These are critical threats. The real danger is the potential entrapment of Malays in a modern form of servitude, relegated to labor and small enterprises. Yet, there seems to be a lack of serious concern about these survival issues.

Let’s explore three key areas:

• Land
• Economics
• Politics

All these areas involve power. It’s perplexing that Malays, who form the majority, are more concerned with politics, while strategic land and vital economic assets are being seized by others. Malays have lost ground in terms of equity, urbanisation, and industrialisation. Unfortunately, there is a tendency to view politics as the end goal rather than a tool to be used for economic and other productive purposes.

In contrast, minorities often focus on economic growth and land ownership because they understand these are the real sources of security and power, not politics. Globally, wealth and power are often concentrated among a minority, reflecting the Pareto principle where 20% of the population controls 80% of the wealth.

The Malay focus on politics over wealth creation can be traced back to history. Under colonial rule, Malay rulers enjoyed protection and a relatively peaceful existence, relying on political stability provided by the colonisers. This led to a dependency on political protection rather than pursuing economic independence. Post-independence, political conflict and the subsequent quest for power became a prominent focus, overshadowing economic development.

I have previously written about the importance of vision, objectives, and goals, and the need for a clear agenda for Malays as part of the national agenda. My approach to addressing Malay political and economic challenges is similar to how I’ve turned around companies: through detailed planning, strategy, and systematic implementation.

It’s essential for Malays to have awareness and understanding. Without these, they risk losing their way and being overtaken by their adversaries. The path forward involves clear planning, targeted strategies, and a focus on both external dynamics and internal opportunities.